Syrian leading rival bid to buy Liverpool

Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi claims he is close to sealing a takeover of Premier League giants Liverpool.

Chinese businessman Kenny Huang emerged on Tuesday as the latest of several potential buyers to submit a bid to buy the club, which is owned by Americans Thomas Hicks and George Gillett.

On Wednesday Kirdi, who represents a group of investors from the Middle East and Canada, claimed a price has been agreed and a formal purchase agreement “is in the final stage of negotiation”.

A statement from Kirdi said: “The group is in advanced negotiations with Thomas Hicks and George Gillett, co-owners of Liverpool Football Club, to purchase 100 percent of the club.

“Agreement has been reached on all major terms including the purchase price, repayment of the existing bank debt from RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) and Wells Fargo and financing of a new stadium in Liverpool’s Stanley Park.

“A formal purchase agreement between the parties is in the final stage of negotiation.”

Kirdi’s claims, however, are being treated with caution.

His representatives made similar claims in April when no deal was done, and he has been dealing with Hicks and Gillett rather than Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton, who has been detailed to sell the club.

Kirdi is a resident of Canada and a former Syria international who oversees investments in Europe and North America on behalf of his investor group, said the statement.

“Liverpool is a massive football club with passionate and proud fans in Merseyside and in every part of the world,” said Kirdi.

“With additional money to improve the squad and financing in place to build the new stadium, LFC will be on a solid foundation to compete in the Premiership and in Europe for years to come.”

Keith Harris, head of investment bank Seymour Pierce, told Sky Sports News there are still other interested parties looking at the club.

“All I am prepared to say is we’ve looked at it very carefully on behalf of would-be buyers, who we know are very serious, we know are cash-rich, we know have the right incentive to do it, the right motivation to do it, and are prepared to take a long-term view,” Harris said.

“I can’t say any more at the moment. We have represented a buyer in the past and that is an ongoing situation.”

Huang on Tuesday expressed his interest in assuming control of the Reds, with suggestions he would seek to acquire the club’s 237-million-pound (285-million-euro) debt from principal lender the Royal Bank of Scotland.

However, Broughton, who was brought into the club in April to facilitate a sale, revealed there had been “several” bids for the Reds and insisted the decision over the sale will be made by the Liverpool board.

“Any bids that go straight to RBS – and there have been several – come to me and are directed to Barcap (Barclays Capital),” he told the Guardian.

“RBS are not involved. The control remains with the board.”

Broughton added: “It still remains the objective to conclude a deal before the end of the transfer window (August 31).

“That remains the objective but there are no deadlines, and we will continue working to complete the process.

“Both (owners) George Gillett and Tom Hicks remain on the board and they have given commitments that the board of Kop Holdings (Liverpool’s UK parent company) is the party that is responsible for the sale.”